What Leaders Need Most Today Isn’t Found on Their Computers

We have experienced an enormous push for, and acceptance of, increased technology. We talk about quantitative data, data-driven decisions, metrics, metrics, and more metrics. And it’s understandable – technology was one of the largest factors attributable to getting us through unprecedented times, helping to save both businesses and jobs. However, while there is no doubting the importance of technology, especially given what we’ve recently been through, it’s becoming abundantly clear that we are missing something. 

In all of our unwavering focus on artificial intelligence, are we forgetting about emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions in a way that helps reduce the stress of, and empathize and communicate with, others. By being connected with our own emotions, we are far more apt to recognize nonverbal cues from others about theirs. There is arguably no greater skill for a leader to have than the ability to effectively connect with the team.

With a focus on mindset and emotions, leaders must be willing to learn and adapt, to ask questions and to collaborate. When we encourage diversity of thought, we need the emotional wherewithal to listen to ideas that are contrary to our own. This is the only way leaders can truly connect with their emotions and in doing so, engage employees on an emotional (and necessary) level.

Emotions in Digital Advancement

Human emotions are extremely powerful – this is not a new thought or concept. We’ve talked about the need for leaders to have emotional intelligence for more than two decades. The difference now is that there is a significant increase in attention on technology at the same time that physical and emotional connections have been substantially decreased. And through these transformations, emotions have seemingly gotten lost in the shuffle. Yet, we are still human, correct? We do still have emotions, right? It doesn’t all come down to codes and numbers. 

Leadership based only on technological advancement may have the tools needed to be agile, but those can only go so far without the culture, skills, and ability to best utilize them. Organizations around the world are struggling with how to be more consumer- and employee-centric today. And the common denominator is that both involve individuals – individuals who can only be connected through emotion.

Harvard Business Review recently spoke with Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill on her thoughts about digital leadership and what it means for the evolving nature of organizations. According to Professor Hill, “getting an organization to its digital future is less about technology and tools, and more about people and culture. For leaders, that means intense collaboration with the people who do understand the technology and tools, being open to having their perspectives challenged, and engaging employees on a deeply emotional level.”

Lack of Emotional Intelligence Leads to Disrespect

More than ever, employers want to be heard. In a recent Pew Research Center study, 57% of the U.S. workers surveyed said “feeling disrespected at work” was a reason why they quit. Underlying that disrespect is often a lack of emotional intelligence from leadership. Below are a few signs where this is apparent (and it is clear where employees would feel disrespected) – 

• Leaders are inflexible. They don’t listen to other viewpoints and are not willing to change their course.
• Leaders who are not fully present. During meetings and in conversations, they rarely make eye contact, they look at their phones, and they are not actively listening. They make it clear that while they are physically present, their minds are elsewhere.
• Leaders who lack self-awareness. If they are not connected to their own emotions, they cannot connect to a team member’s. 
• Leaders with a results-first mindset. They only see the end game, regardless of the costs to their employees.
• Leaders who struggle to build relationships because there is no quality to their connections.

Developing each of these areas improves emotional intelligence. So, what’s in it for leaders? The correlation is clear – the higher the emotional intelligence of an employer, the more inclined the employees are to be team players who collaborate more frequently and effectively. And increased team interaction and collaboration leads to increased innovation and productivity. That’s a lot to be emotional about.

In the same interview with Professor Hill, she talks about a survey of 1,500 executives. When asked what skills those executives were looking for in employees in today’s digitally advanced world, the most common response was adaptability. The subsequent responses were curiosity, creativity, and comfort with ambiguity. The very last skill they mentioned was digital literacy. That is not a coincidence.

Essentially, employees could have all the digital skills in the world, but if they aren’t emotionally connected to their leaders, the team, and the organization’s culture and mission, they cannot utilize those skills to the best of their ability. It’s time for leaders to take a step back from their computers and phones and take a step toward their employers and consumers in a real way. We hear of humanizing the digital experience, but now it’s time to humanize the humans behind it.

At The Win Woman, we help leaders of corporations and non-profits work on those connections that are crucial for success. We understand emotional intelligence and work with our clients to come up with the best way to further develop it in their leaders. For more information about developing your leadership to include emotional intelligence, please email hello@thewinwoman.com.

Until next time, keep Building Your BADASSERY.